March 18, 2007 - GOD'S CON: THE REUNION

Scripture Meditation: Genesis 33

INTRODUCTION

• Every September the Stikeleather clan holds a family reunion
• It was always filled with lots of good food and fun- and people who kept introducing themselves as my distant cousin
• I gotta be honest- I've never really understood that cousin thing
• The first cousin stuff- that's easy
• The children of my parents' brothers and sisters are my first cousins- Got that!
• Beyond that- I'm not sure...
• I think the children of my first cousins are my first cousins once removed
• Which would make them Matthew and Stephanie's second cousins. Something like that
• I remember being introduced to a girl at a family reunion when I was about 18-19 years old
• She was drop-dead gorgeous
• I was told she was my third cousin once removed on my grandfather's side
• All I know is- she was HOT!
• I know this sounds like a punch line to a redneck joke
• But all I'm thinking was: Third cousin once removed. Does that mean it's legal for us to get married- and have kids together?
• (Pause if laughter) Gimme a break- I was 18!
• ...Let me see- where was I going with all this?
• Oh yeah. I remember
• Family reunions!
• I was gonna talk about family reunions
• Because this morning we're going to be looking at one of the great family reunions in history
• It's found in the 33rd chapter of Genesis
• Turn in your Bibles to Genesis 33
• While you're doing that- I'll take a few minutes to set the stage for what's about to happen

BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

• Jacob and his older twin brother Esau hadn't seen each other for more than twenty years
• As a young man Jacob had set out to steal the inheritance Esau deserved as Isaac's first born son
• First- Jacob swindled Esau out of his birthright
• Then- he tricked his father into giving him the blessing Isaac intended to give to Esau
• To say Esau was angry doesn't begin to describe his reaction
• He was FURIOUS!
• So angry he vowed to kill Jacob wherever- and whenever- he found him
• Jacob escaped Esau's rage by leaving home and going to live with his uncle Laban
• During the 20 yrs Jacob lived in Paddan Aram the Lord blessed him more than he could have ever imagined
• God...
• Gave him wives and children
• Made him fabulously wealthy
• Protected him from all harm
• And promised that Jacob would become a blessing to all nations
• When God finally told him to leave Paddan Aram and go back home
• Jacob did what God told him to do
• But the closer he got- the more frightened he became
• As far as Jacob knew
• Esau still intended to kill him
• When he heard Esau was looking for him- with four hundred men in tow- he panicked
• First he tried to bribe Esau with an extravagant gift
• When that didn't seem to work- he prepared for what he thought would be a bloody battle with his brother
• With all that in mind- let's pick up the story with Genesis 33:1

JACOB AND ESAU MEET

Genesis 33:1
• When Jacob first learned Esau was coming he had divided his family into two groups
• He thought: If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that's left may escape.
• Here in chapter 33- he's dividing them any further
Genesis 33:2
• A therapist would have called Jacob's family dysfunctional
• I mean this is a man who is married to two sisters
• What's worse-
• Jacob always made it clear that Rachel was his favorite
• Throughout her life Leah felt like a second-class citizen in her own home
• I'm sure Jacob's actions in Genesis 33:2 didn't help matters
• Jacob put:
• His concubines- and their children- in the front of the pack
• Then he put Leah and her children in front of Rachel and her son- Joseph
• It seemed as if Jacob was saying: I'll sacrifice all the rest of you to protect Rachel and Joseph
• It appeared to be cruel and cold-bloodied
• ...Except for one thing

He himself went on ahead...

• Jacob didn't try to hide behind his wives and children
• To varying degrees he loved all of them- and he would gladly lay down his life to protect them
• Which is exactly what God expects a man of faith to do
Ephesians 5:25
• As Christian men we know what Jesus did for His church:
• He laid down His life on the Cross of Calvary
• He didn't HAVE to do it- no one could FORCE him to do it- He did it as a sacrifice of love
• And guys- that's what God asks men of faith to do
• You should be perfectly willing to lay down your life for the sake of your wife and children
• IF that should ever be necessary
• Now fellows- think about this with me:
• If God expects you to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for your family
• What other kinds of sacrifices does He expect you to make?
• How about career advancement?
• If your move up the company ladder comes at the expense of your wife and children
• God's Will is clear: Give up the promotion and devote yourself to your family
• How about time spent on hobbies and recreational activities?
• If they pull you away from your family
• God expects you to give ‘em up
• The list could go on-and-on- but the point is-
• If you're not making sacrifices for the sake of your family
• You're not the man God wants you to be
• I promise you:
• When Jacob's family saw him at the front of the pack- walking out to meet Esau
• They didn't wonder if Jacob loved them- they KNEW it!

He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

• To bow down like this was a traditional Middle Eastern greeting signifying honor and respect

Genesis 33:4

• As a younger man Esau had been impulsive, short-sighted and hot-tempered
• Read with me Genesis 25:29-34
• When the Bible says Esau despised his birthright it means he didn't have the right priorities in life
• He wasn't a man of godly faith- a man who could see past today
• All he lived for was to satisfy his momentary appetites and desires
• But in the 20 years Jacob had been away Esau had changed!
• It's impossible to demonstrate this much grace unless your heart's been transformed by God
• Not only did Esau welcome his brother home-
• He picked him up- embraced him
• And whispered in his ear: ‘I forgive you. I love you. Let's be brothers again'
• You know, I see a lot of parallels here to the Parable of the Prodigal Son
• Remember? When the prodigal's father saw his rebellious son coming up the path
• Jesus says the father...
• Didn't wait for him to get to the house so he could apologize for all he'd done
• Instead he ...ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
• Folks- that's a picture of what God does when you ask for His love and forgiveness
• He doesn't make you bow down and grovel in the dirt
• No! He runs out and embraces you and welcomes you home with kisses of mercy and grace

Genesis 33:4

• Primarily- these were tears of joy
• I have a brother again!
• But they were also tears of regret for all the years Jacob and Esau had been estranged from one another

Genesis 33:5

• It didn't take a genius to figure out who these people were. Clearly they were Jacob's family
Genesis 33:6-7
• I'm sure Esau welcomed each member of Jacob's family with hugs and kisses and tears of joy and thanksgiving
• Can you imagine what this must have meant to Jacob's wives and children?
• They were a long way from everything they knew as home
• They had been living with the fear that Esau would kill Jacob and all of them
• But now Esau is saying: Welcome to your new home! I'm your brother-in-law. I'm your uncle. You're safe here. You are my family. And I love you.
• One of the challenges churches face is to show that same kind of welcome to anyone who steps in the front door
• You may be black. You may be white. You may be Asian. You may be Hispanic or Latino
• But if you know Jesus as your personal Savior
• You are my brother. You are my sister
• And I love you! Welcome to your new home

JACOB'S GIFT

Esau asked, "What do you mean by all these droves I met?"

• Ah ha- those ridiculously extravagant gifts!
• Esau wanted to know what he should think
• Brother- why are you giving me all this stuff?
• Now undoubtedly Jacob's servants had already told Esau what he'd instructed them to say
Genesis 32:17-18
• So why does Esau ask Jacob: "What do you mean by all these droves I met?"
• I think Esau wanted to hear it from Jacob's lips
• The truth is...
• Jacob had always been the deceiver- he'd done Esau wrong
• It was time for him to come clean about his intentions in this situation

..."To find favor in your eyes, my lord," he said.

• With these words Jacob has admitted he was trying to bribe his older brother
• I was afraid you were going to kill me
• I was hoping these gifts would make you treat me kindly- despite all the things that happened in our past

But Esau said, "I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself."

• In other words: Jacob- you're trying to buy something that's not for sale
• I've decided to love and accept and forgive you.
• And nothing you can do will change- or undo it.
• You know a lot of people are like Jacob when it comes to their relationship with God
• They think that by giving lots of money to the church- or doing good deeds- they can earn God's love
• But here's the thing: God's grace isn't for sale!
• The Bible says God's grace and forgiveness is offered freely to anyone who calls on the name of Jesus
• All you have to do is accept God's gift by faith and trust in Jesus
• This is what Jacob had to learn
• Esau wasn't forgiving Jacob because of the gift
• Esau's forgiving him because of love- PERIOD!

...I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself

• The word plenty carries the idea of having what you need
• In other words: Esau isn't fabulously wealthy like Jacob
• But he's learned to be content with what he has
• Paul talks about this in Philippians 4:10-13
• There's a show on MTV called My Super Sweet 16
• On the program they show bratty rich kids having these sinfully extravagant Sweet 16 parties
• According to the Observer, a couple of weeks ago they shot an episode in Charlotte
• Rachel Goldstein's parents...
• Spent thousands of dollars giving her a party featuring live entertainment, a bar made out of ice, and a money pit where her friends could grab all the dollar bills they could stuff in their pockets
• To top it all off- Rachel got the keys to a brand new Lexus
• But here's the thing:
• Once Rachel Goldstein's 15 minutes of fame are up
• She's going to be a very unhappy person- unless something changes in her life
• See when money and materialism becomes your god
• You can NEVER be happy
• No matter what you have
• You'll always want more-
• Because there's always something more to want
• On the other hand- When you let the Holy Spirit teach you to be content with what you have
• You'll learn to:
• Appreciate what you have now
• Because you recognize it as a gift from God's own hand
• And you'll be a happier person...guaranteed!

...I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself
"No, please!" said Jacob. "If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably.

• Now obviously Jacob-
• Doesn't mean that seeing Esau is like seeing God
• What he means is that Esau has demonstrated the kind of grace and love and forgiveness that ultimately comes from God
• There's an old saying that notes: You're the only Jesus somebody will ever know
• The question is: What kind of Jesus do they see in YOU?
• A Jesus who is.../ Or a Jesus who is...
• Filled with anger and resentment and bitterness and prejudice and an unforgiving spirit?
• Loving and kind and gentle and forgiving and accepting of others?
• Jacob had seen the love of God reflected in Esau's life- and it changed his life!

"Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need." And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

• I want you to notice what just happened here:
• Originally Jacob offered Esau this gift as a bribe
• I was afraid you were going to kill me
• I was hoping these gifts would make you treat me kindly
• But now Jacob wants Esau to accept this gift because of the forgiveness and grace he's freely received from his brother
• In 2 Corinthians 9:7 the Bible say God loves a cheerful giver.
• Here's the point: If you bring an offering to God with a sense of bitterness and resentment in your heart
• Keep your stinking money
• God doesn't want it- and He certainly doesn't need it
• But if- like Jacob- you can't get over the fact that God has poured out His love and grace in your life
• You'll bring your offering with a smile on your face- and joy in your heart
• And God will accept the gift and bless the giver!

JACOB SEPARATES HIMSELF FROM ESAU

Then Esau said, "Let us be on our way; I'll accompany you."

• Remember those 400 men Esau brought with him?
• Turns out they weren't an army bent on destruction
• But bodyguards who would guarantee the safety of Jacob's family and flocks

Genesis 33:13-14

• Everything Jacob said was perfectly plausible
• There was a reason it had taken him at least six months to get from Paddan Aram to Gilead
• He had a large family- and huge flocks.
• He couldn't go but so fast
• But the truth is Jacob is just making an excuse

Esau said, "Then let me leave some of my men with you."

• Esau is such a good man
• In fact-
• If you had to choose a neighbor
• You'd pick Esau over Jacob every time
• Now granted- Esau wasn't the brightest light bulb on the marquee
• But he was generous and honest and kind
• The type of man who'd gladly give you the shirt off his back if he thought you needed it

... "But why do that?" Jacob asked. "Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord."

• To put it another way:
• You don't need to stay here with me.
• Go on back home
• I'll be just fine
• The words sounded gracious
• But the point was clear
• Jacob didn't want to have anything to do with his brother

So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.

• Esau's heart must have been broken
• Here he's had a joyous reunion with his brother- he'd looked forward to many years of fellowship with Jacob
• But as he turned and left for home- Esau knew he'd probably never see his brother again

Genesis 33:17-19

• There's no doubt Jacob's decision to live so far from his brother hurt Esau
• But I don't want you to come down too hard on Jacob
• He had a reason for the things he did
• See- if Jacob had chosen to live near Esau
• He would have enjoyed the love and protection and security that comes with being a part of a large family
• And that would have been nice
• But God hadn't called him to be in a place where people made him feel safe and secure
• God had called Jacob to live by radical faith
• A faith that demanded that he trust God above all else
• Sometimes we talk about the importance of Christians leaving their comfort zone
• When God calls you to leave your comfort zone He isn't trying to make you feel miserable or unhappy
• Instead- He wants to put you in a place where you have to learn to trust Him above all else
• Let's face it- you don't have to have a lot of faith to live a same old thing existence
• All you have to do is go through the motions- and keep on doing what you've always done
• But when you step out on faith- and follow God into places and situations that are a little uncomfortable- a little less certain
• You'll discover you can't depend on your own resources anymore
• Instead- you'll learn to pray: It's You and me Lord. And I can't do it. But I believe YOU can- and will- do it through me!

CONCLUSION

There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.

• The meaning of the words El Elohe Israel is The altar of the God of Israel
• It's interesting-
• Up to this point in his life Jacob had always referred to God as the God of my fathers- the God of Abraham- the fear of Isaac
• But now he's saying:
• The One true and living God- the Creator of the Universe- is MY God
• And I will trust Him!
• Folks- is the God of Jacob YOUR God?
• Do you trust Him with your life- and your eternity?
• Let us pray